Charge intercoolers for motor vehicles are known; they serve to cool the combustion air compressed by a compressor or turbocharger in order to obtain a better filling of the cylinders, i.e. a better charging efficiency. For motor vehicles, use is generally made of air-cooled charge intercoolers, as have been disclosed, for example, by DE-A 198 57 435 or DE-A 199 62 861 of the applicant. The charge intercooler generally has a heat exchanger unit or a “network” which comprises tubes, generally flat or rectangular tubes, between which corrugated fins are arranged to enlarge the heat exchange surface. The tubes are held by their tube ends in tube plates. Tubes, fins and tube plates are composed of aluminum materials and are soldered to one another. “Air boxes” which act as distributors or header boxes for the charge air are placed onto the tube plates. These air boxes may also be composed of an aluminum material, but likewise of plastic. In certain cases of use, liquid-cooled charge intercoolers are also used, with the coolant of the cooling circuit of the internal combustion engine serving to cool the charge air. The charge intercooler for a motor vehicle is usually fastened in front of or behind the coolant cooler and is frequently part of a cooling module which is arranged in the front engine compartment of the motor vehicle.
In the case of passenger vehicle diesel engines, due to the formation of particulates in the exhaust gas use is made more and more of particulate filters which have to be regenerated at certain intervals. In the case of certain types of particulate filters, a raising of the exhaust gas temperature is required for the regeneration (particulate burn-off), which is often not achievable when outside temperatures are cold. The invention is based on the fact that, under some circumstances, with the aid of a reduced cooling of the charge air the increased exhaust gas temperature for a particulate burn-off can be achieved. In addition, in particular in the case of cold ambient temperatures, an accelerated warming up of the vehicle engine is possible.